“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Confucious
Long-term change begins with the end in mind, connects to a larger purpose (why), is enabled by your environment, supported by the people in your life, is anchored by the calendar, allows for flexibility, is reinforced by celebration, and calcified by identity.
There is a lot packed into that sentence.
But read it again.
1. Have you clarified what kind of life you’re building? Have you defined your goals and ambitions? Are you intentionally chasing them? Or living a life of circumstance and consequence? Alex Hormozi summed it up, “Figuring out what you really want is the hard part. Getting it is easy.”
2. Have you examined your environment? What are the defaults? What purposeful reminders have you put in place to anchor your new habits?
3. Have you taken a good look at the people you spend the most time with in your life? Robin Dunbar studied our social connections. In spite of what you may believe, you spend 40% of your time with 5-6 people. You spend another 20% of your time with an additional 10 people. Who are they? Are they pushing toward or away from the life you want?
4. What does your calendar say? When Peter Drucker, the grandfather of modern management, asked executives to journal every minute of their day, he found that the most accurate were only spending their time where they thought 37% of the time. Remember you don’t build your life by what you say, you build it by what you do. What does your Calendar say?
5. Have you baked in enough flexibility? Rigorous routines tend to flame out. Food changes with cheat days have more success. Committing to the gym 4 times a week rather than being dogmatic about the days you’ll go, leads to more success. There is something deeply embedded in the human psyche that needs a degree of control. And a little flexibility seems to do the trick – Don’t force yourself into days of the week or times of the day that you will complete the routine. The more rigid the routine, the more likely it is that you will eventually quit. I run 100 miles a month – it is the kind of goal I need to keep at it and the flexibility I need to not get discouraged.
6. Have you celebrated recently? Most high performers tick off accomplishments with little regard for that deeply needed intrinsic celebration. BJ Fogg’s research on habit change tells us just how important celebration is. But it must be authentic. What’s your authentic celebration? How will you incorporate it into your day?
7. The late Clay Christensen, in his masterpiece How Will You Measure Your Life?, said that 100% of the time is easier than 98% of the time. What is one decision that can free you from the tyranny of many decisions? I have two rules: I run 100 miles/month, I don’t drink pop or alcohol. Those two decisions have become part of my identity. I don’t drink and I’m a runner. What automatic rules can start to forge your identity?
